The Good of Names: When someone knows your name it is like they hold a piece of who you are in their memory. For those people, who like me, cannot remember names very well at all to originally connect with others. Have you ever had an experience where someone knew your name, or came up to you and said, "well you look like a Leishman" (my mothers maiden name) It automatically connects you to that person even if you haven't known them since Adam. When you share a name with someone who is a good person, someone who you want to be like when you grow up it is amazing motivation to try to be your very best.
Taking upon us other names When I get married (have yet to meet my Alfonz) I will take my husbands surname to be my own. This is because we will become one. His name will have special meaning for me and his family will become mine. That changing of names (for women) is an essential part of marriage. I have already taken upon me a name, that was when I was baptised I "took upon me the name of Christ" I don't know how I will answer him when He asks me "What have you done with my name?" I hope that I am able to answer that I did well.
Random thoughts. I give names to a lot of things. Sometimes I will give a certain trait of a person a name (Like a Daniel smile), or an object (like my violin Truffaldino Certinian III), or even "masks' that people wear (like someones stone-heart (Steinhertz, doesn't care at all) mask). I even name trees that I really like or inwardly name people. Not in a way of replacing their original name, I never vocally use the names I come up with, but an additional name or two that somehow seems right with that person. Some of these to others might seem really cheesy, but it's how I think. some examples are; Michelle/Michael, purple-hands, wanderer, lost one, joyous heart, strong heart, and rabbit-hole-belly-flopper. (if you really want to you ask further concerning any of these feel free)
What to watch out for with names.
When we name or label someone it is not always with the best intentions.
“They stick you with those names, those labels -- ‘rebel’ or whatever; whatever they like to use. Because they need a label; they need a name. They need something to put the price tag on the back of.” - Johny Depp. We give each other names all the time, rebel, emo, procrastinator, crazy, OCD. When we do this though a lot of these names are given to represent something we don't like about a person. When we give that characteristic a name and bestow it on someone do we allow them to say(decide) who they are? or to improve or change in any way? We go around with names and labels, the good ones written on bright gold stars, and the bad on dark spots. As we go throughout our day we place these on people as we see fit. And yet we wonder why there are those who have so much potential and yet they never try to change, what if we could see how many black spots are on them, what if we knew which ones we had placed there. We also wonder why people who, to us, seem perfect, have such a hard time changing either. What if we could see how many labels were on them that they felt like they had to keep ahold of. How many expectations others had piled on them. It takes a very special person to not be bothered by the labels put on them, and help others to help these stars and spots not stick to them. I am not saying that labeling someone as "amazing" or "kind" is a bad thing. It is when it is a "This person is more amazing than you" label that this is a problem. We all know those who's entire self esteem is based on how they compare to other people.
IN conclusion names when they are nobly given, not forced upon someone, and they choose to take up that name, can be a great thing. It comes down to intentions of the heart, and an individuals agency. Names have power. they have meanings, and always keep in mind what you will say at the end of your life when someone who shares you name asks you What have you done with my name?
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